The Sullivan Public Library Alliance is seeking a Poet Laureate to promote “the spirit of Sullivan County”. The Poet Laureate will be an ambassador and leading voice for encouraging the appreciation of reading and writing poetry for children and adults by sharing and promoting poetry through conversations, readings, public appearances, and both print and social media.

Applications are due Tuesday, March 31 and the new Poet Laureate will be announced during the month of April, National Poetry Month. The term of service is one year - from May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Responsibilities include presenting works of significance to Sullivan County audiences for a minimum of nine appearances, one in each of the nine legislative districts. Applications must include three sample poems, one of them specific to “the spirit of Sullivan County.”

This is a one-year appointment with a modest honorarium and the opportunity to publicly present original works. It follows the inaugural year of the county poet laureate; the position currently held by Mark Blackford.

For information and application guidelines, go to MamakatingLibrary.org.

This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, as well as the Catskill Art Society, the Friends of the Ethelbert B. Crawford Library, the Friends of the Mamakating Library and Lynn Skolnick.